Crash Testing Of Cars To Be Made Mandatory In India

By Ganesh

Published: Monday, January 27, 2014, 18:24 [IST]

At present, structural integrity and passenger safety provided by cars sold in India are determined by front and rear crash test. However, comprehensive car crash testing will soon be made mandatory by the government of India post which cars will be certified only after having undergone a new set of New Car Assessment Programme standards.

According to a TOI report, the concerned authorities are currently consulting the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and other ministries to set up standards for the New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP).

Also Read: Ford EcoSport Crash Test Results

The government is also working on the other part of safety testing which is setting up proper infrasture to carry out new and complex tests, such as EuroNCAP and USANCAP tests.

The National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRiP) is said to be currently in the process of setting up new facilities and infrastructure under the Centre of Excellence for Passive Safety.

GARC-Chennai will be one among them. This facility will have the capabilities to carry out not just frontal and rear crash tests, but also front car to car crash tests, sled tests, full vehicle crash tests and angular car to car crash tests.

In addition, the facility will be also be equipped with the required equipments to measure impact loads using load cell walls. The Chennai facility will also be provided with video recording equipments.

Besides the Chennai facility India will get two other upgraded facilities - one at the International Centre for Automotive Technology (iCAT) and the other at the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).

If things go according to schedule full scale new sample crash testing and certification will commence in the next year and a half.